Malawi Queens restricted to part-time coaches due to inadequate funding

Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) has disclosed that Malawi queens will still have part-time coaches due to inadequate funding.

Peace Chawina (L) and Mary Way: They have all coached Malawi Queens

The development follows government’s trimming of their proposed budget for the current financial year from about K300 million to K32 million, according to NAM President Rosy Chinunda.

“In the proposed budget that was submitted to government, the employment of a permanent coach was factored in but we can no longer proceed with the plans as the money which was allocated to us cannot sustain such plans,” Chinunda is quoted in the local press.

She added: “It means we will maintain the previous arrangement to hire coaches on part-time basis, we cannot employ a permanent coach until the economy improves.”

Commenting on the matter, Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) executive secretary George Jana argued that NAM would still have still been required to justify the hiring of a permanent coach even if the annual subvention was enough.

“We advised them to present to us their strategic plan that will detail duties of the coach before the person can be employed, but they still haven’t done so,” he said in apparent indication that permanent coach is not required for the queens.

Currently, the Queens have no coach following the expiry of one-year contracts for Peace Chawinga and her assistant Mary Waya in May this year.